☕️ Super on Paid Parental Leave is a step closer

As we enter the last week of Winter, it certainly doesn’t feel like it in many parts of the country.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting widespread heat across the country in the coming days, with Brisbane expected to see several days above 30°C next week. In Sydney, temperatures are forecast to reach up to 28°C on Saturday.

Looks like it’s time to shelve the ear muffs!

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“Sphen and Magic are more than just a beautiful love story – their impact around the world as a symbol of equality is immeasurable.”
Sydney SEA LIFE Aquarium has released a statement after the death of Sphen, a male penguin who was in a long-term relationship with another male penguin, Magic. The pair were together for six years and raised two adopted chicks.

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How many unexploded bombs left over from World War II were found under a school in the capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara.

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The first vaccination against coronavirus — the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine — was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

CW: Sexual abuse

Romanian authorities have searched the home of controversial influencer Andrew Tate.

The search related to new allegations of money laundering, “sexual intercourse with a minor,” and human trafficking, including of minors.

Tate and his brother Tristan are already awaiting trial on existing charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

The pair were held in custody overnight.

Andrew and Tristan Tate already face multiple charges in both Romania and the UK.

The UK allegations include sexual aggression and “serial” tax evasion.

The Romanian charges include rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.

The pair deny the allegations. They are awaiting trial on the Romanian allegations, laid in 2022.

On Wednesday, armed police officers from Romania’s anti-organised crime agency (DIICOT) searched the Tates’ home in Bucharest, the country’s capital.

Police took both brothers in for questioning.

In a statement, DIICOT said it was searching four homes as part of an investigation into “an organised criminal group, trafficking in minors, trafficking in persons, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering.”

A spokesperson for Tate told The Associated Press that “although the charges in the search warrant are not yet fully clarified, they include suspicions of human trafficking and money laundering.”

Tate posted to X, describing the charges as “slander” and comparing his experience to the plot of the film ‘The Matrix’.

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Call: 1800 737 732
Text: 0458 737 732
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Reporting by Chloe Christie.

The Federal Government has introduced legislation to add superannuation to Paid Parental Leave (PPL).

Under the bill, eligible parents will be paid 12% super on top of their total PPL.

The Government announced the initiative in March. If the legislation passes, super will be paid on PPL from July 2025.

Here’s what you need to know.

Paid Parental Leave is a national scheme for parents after a birth or adoption.

PPL is capped at 22 weeks of federally-funded minimum wage support.

Parents need to have worked consistent hours and complete an income test to prove their eligibility for the payment.

The entitlement will increase to 26 weeks by 2026. This planned increase is separate from the proposed PPL superannuation legislation.

Superannuation is money set aside for retirement from your pay. In most instances, you can’t access it until you turn 60.

Every employer in Australia is legally required to make super contributions on behalf of their staff.

Parents currently receiving PPL are paid just over $915.80 a week. This payment does not include any super contributions.

The Government introduced its PPL Amendment Bill in the Lower House on Thursday.

According to the legislation, eligible parents “with babies born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025 will receive an additional payment, based on the Superannuation Guarantee,”— 12% of their Paid Parental Leave payment.

It means an additional $110 a week would be paid into PPL recipients’ nominated superannuation fund (if the amendment is passed).

According to analysis of ATO data by the Super Members Council (SMC), the ‘gender super gap’ significantly widens after women reach their 30s.

Figures from 2021-2022 showed a $300 gap between 18 to 24-year-old men and women.

The gap widened to almost $16,000 between men and women in their mid to late 30s, “when many women take time out of the paid workforce to raise children,” the SMC said.

The SMC called for bipartisan support to pass the bill.

SMC CEO Misha Schubert called it “the next big milestone on the road to retirement gender equity”.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) said it welcomes the proposed laws.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil said the legislation is a step towards “improving women’s economic security.”

“Women make up the majority of primary caregivers in this country... they face greater economic insecurity because of time out of the workforce to care for children,” O’Neil said.

Earlier this year, the Coalition said it would work with the Government on the proposal, and that it backs the idea of paid super for PPL in “principle”.

TDA reached out to the Opposition for an updated comment on the legislation but did not receive a response at the time of posting.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

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By using materials that are more sustainable than plastic, ‘Bio Reform’ has created biodegradable, compostable bags that decompose within 180 days. That’s compared to the estimated 20 years it takes traditional plastic bags to decompose.

The company says its sustainable alternative has replaced 6 million plastic bags in two years. It wants to overhaul the “entire packaging industry” to become ‘green’ by 2030.

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Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

You might not have seen The Godfather, but you’ve probably heard that it’s considered one of the best movies ever made. Its director, Francis Ford Coppola, has a new movie coming out this year called Megalopolis.

Movie studio Lionsgate, which is releasing Megalopolis in the U.S., put out a new trailer this week featuring negative quotes from critics about Coppola’s previous movies.

Despite these bad reviews, many of his films are classics, and it seems Lionsgate wanted viewers to know that they should still come see Megalopolis even though it’s had some mixed feedback.

The only issue? The quotes were all made up. There were lukewarm reviews of The Godfather when it was released in 1972, but none of them featured in this new trailer.

Lionsgate has since taken down the trailer and released an apology, saying it “screwed up”.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

The Democratic National Convention has been going on in Chicago this week. Over the last few days, we’ve seen Kamala Harris accept her party’s nomination to run as its presidential candidate ahead of the US Election in November.

For that reason, there’s been a lot of attention on Harris this week. But what about Donald Trump? In today’s deep dive, we’ll take you through the latest from the U.S. election campaign trail.